percival



W. H. PERCIVAL. Stringed Musical-Instrument.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVIIILIAM H. PERGIVAL, OF BAYSWATER, GREAT BRITAIN.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application led To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY PER- CIVAL, of Bayswater, in the county of Middlesex, Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments Played by Bows or Plectra, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to stringed musical instruments played by bows or plectra, and is designed to give increased body or fullness to the tone of such instruments and to 'facilitate the playing thereof. y

Referring to the accompanying sheet oi' drawings, Figure l is a plan of part of an instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in section, to a larger scale; and Fig.3is a plan,halt'in section, with the key-board removed.

lVIy invention consists, trst, in the applicacation of a loose sounding-board, a, interposed between the ringer or fret board b (or belly or top) and the back or bottom c of the hollow body of the instrument. This soundboard is secured to the ends of the hollow body at c and f,- but between these two parts the sound-board a is partly bowed or bent downward, (see Fig. 2,) and is made 11a-r- -rower than the internal width of the hollow body, so as to leave small spaces g between the edges oi the sound board a. and the sides h of the hollow body, as shown in Fig. 3. By this construction, arrangement, and application of the sound-board a it is left free to vibrate without touching any part ot' the hollow body oi' the instrument except at the ends. The instrument I have shown is an improved one of the zithern class, and the top of the instrument extends only to the point marked t', leaving the rest ofthe hollow body (from t' to fl open at the top, except so far as the loose sound-board itself forms a cover. h h are the frets or barsot' wire to indicate where the tin gers are to be placed for playing certain notes, l Z, the wires or strings; m on, the hitch-pins 5 a n, the wrest or timing pins, and o is the bridge.

My invention consists, secondly, in combin- Patent No. 225,99*?, dated March 30, 1880.

December 12, 1879.

ing with the loose sounding-board and fretboard above described a key-board and keys or studs, which may be arranged as shown in Figs. l and 2, or shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 2, h are the studs, arranged one over each fret, and having spiral springs h2 in the hollow key board or box h3, for returning the studs or keys to their normal positions.

Althoughmy improved instrument, as illnstrated, is ot' oblong rectangular i'orm in plan, and has only two wires or strings, it will be evident my invention may be applied to other forms oi' instrument of the same class, and that my loose sounding-board may be used in the zithern or violin, bass-viol, violoncello, and all instruments of this character, and that instruments such as I have shown may be more or less varied in shape, and be provided with more wires or strings, so long as a loose sounding-board, a, beapplied thereto, as above set forth.

What I claim isl. As an improvement in a stringed Inusical instrument adapted to be played by a bow or plectrum, a loose sounding-board curved downward and interposed between the finger or fret board (or belly or top) and the back or bottom ofthe hollow body of the instrument, said loose sounding-board being narrower than the transverse width ot' the body, to form spaces g, and secured only at the ends, subV stantially as described.

2. In a stringed musical instrument adapted to be played by a bow or pleetrnm, the combination oi' aloose sounding-board, a fret-board, and a key-board with studs or keys provided with springs for returning same to their nor- Inal positions, said studs or keys being arranged to press the strings or wires against the frets, substantially as described.

IVILLIAIWI HENRY PERGIVAL.

Witnesses F. J. BnoUeIIAiI,

Olcrh to Mr. IV. Lloyd lV/iso,

7 Whitehall Place, Loudon. H. T. WALKER,

7 Whitehall Place, London. 

